Broken
by the Sin Hunter Alchemist
Summary: Sasuke is breaking under the pressure of what he's done.


Just a warning, this fic isn't written the same as my other oneshots. In other words, it's called Broken for a reason. Oh, and certain phrases are used an abundant amount of time. They're used for a reason. Before I forget…

WARNING! SPOILERS OF A CALIBER YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE! TURN BACK UNLESS YOU KNOW THE SECRET OF THE UCHIHA AND MADARA! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

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Sasuke slumped against the wall, letting his eyes drift closed. Madara had just left him to… to… to do something. Sasuke couldn't remember and didn't care.

He had killed Itachi.

He had killed Itachi Uchiha.

He was the Avenger of the Uchiha and had killed Itachi.

Itachi had been defending him.

Itachi was dead.

He would have laughed, would have cheered. He had thought he'd run to his parents' graves and tell them all about it.

But that wasn't true.

He frowned, trying to remember who he had been this morning. Or maybe last night. A year ago? Ten years ago?

No, not ten years ago…

It didn't matter. He had expected to die.

Sasuke Uchiha had not expected to live.

Sasuke Uchiha had expected to be killed by Itachi Uchiha.

Itachi Uchiha was dead.

Sasuke Uchiha had killed Itachi Uchiha.

Sasuke had killed Itachi.

It didn't sound right.

Sasuke had killed Itachi.

He had killed Itachi.

He had killed his-

No. It didn't sound right.

His eyes were clenched. Sasuke didn't remember doing that, clenching his eyes. He couldn't remember how to unclench them.

They hurt.

His eyes hurt, deep in their core. Maybe it was the mangekyou. But why would he have his own? He hadn't killed Naruto.

Sasuke didn't want to think about it. It hurt, deeper than his eyes. Deep, deep, the pain settled, someplace in his mind. So he didn't think about it.

He knew that he should believe Madara, not because he was such a trust worthy man. Sasuke would never trust the man, not him. Not Madara.

It made sense. It made since the morbid way death makes since, the cryptic way that eating human flesh to stay alive when there are no other choices made sense.

Sasuke hated his brother. He hated his father. He hated Aunty and the elders.

Sasuke missed his mother. She was soft and comfortable, silky like cold milk when hungry.

He chuckled at that. Comparing his mother to milk. It was ironic, though he didn't understand why.

She would have explained it to him. She would have explained why they had to die. Why they betrayed Konoha like he did. Why he should hate them.

But she hadn't and Itachi had killed her.

He had killed Itachi.

Itachi had killed their father and their mother and their aunt and their elders.

But he had killed Itachi.

He had killed Itachi a thousand times over, in dreams and nightmares, in plots and strategies, in life and death.

But Sasuke wasn't dead. Not now. Maybe he had been for a second, he couldn't remember.

Itachi was.

Itachi was dead and Sasuke had killed him.

Itachi had killed the clan to protect Konoha and had joined Akatsuki to protect Sasuke.

Itachi loved his baby brother.

And Sasuke killed him.

He lifted a hand, though he wasn't sure why. The hand seemed different now. Older. More rigid.

He raised the hand higher and touched his forehead. It had been the one form of affection Itachi let himself show, poking his forehead. A proper ninja didn't have affections. Itachi did. For Sasuke.

His forhead tingled. He silently, secretly, deep in his mind where even he couldn't go, wished it always would.

No one would ever poke his forehead again. He wouldn't let them. He'd rip off their fingers.

He had killed Itachi.

It was a hard thought to swallow.

He had never killed anyone before. It had always been someone else. Orochimaru, Kabuto, Suigetsu.

Naruto.

Naruto had killed someone. Didn't that mean that it wasn't that bad? Naruto couldn't do wrong, he was too much of a dead last.

He had killed Itachi, though. What did that mean? What did it mean?

Fratricide.

Was this okay? Was it okay that he killed Itachi?

Was it okay that he loved him?

He had killed his big brother.

He had gained the mangekyou. That meant he killed his most important person.

He had killed Itachi, who cried after doing what was necessary to protect Sasuke. He had cried as he turned away from Sasuke after torturing him. Torturing him so he would grow strong and be able to resist the powers that wanted him dead.

Grow strong enough to kill Itachi.

And he had.

It hurt to think about, so Sasuke let his mind drift into a troubled sleep.

His dreams were filled with red clouds and weasels.


End file.
